Building tile



Feb. l5, 1938. A. c. VAN ANTWERP BUILDING TILE Filed Dec. 24. 1956 Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES ars PATET BUILDING TILE Application December 24, 1936, Serial No. 117,424

7 Claims.

This invention relates to building tile for forming walls of buildings and other cellular structures, and has for an important object the provision of such a construction which will facilitate 5 the rigid attachment of grounds, trim members, and other attachments, to the wall without the usual attendant danger of splitting the blocks in the wall or the mortar bonds between the blocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be produced with relatively simple molds and handled in transportation without danger of excessive breakage. Y

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodi- 20:- ment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating two building blocks embodying the invention, said blocks being assembled as in a wall structure and having a trim member attached thereto; and

Fig. 2 is a plan section taken substantially on a plane indicated by line 2--2 in Fig. 1.

To illustrate the invention, I have shown adjacent building blocks I I to which a trim member I2 is secured by means of nails I3. It will be understood that ground devices or other attachments could be similarly applied.

. The blocks II may be formed of tile or cement or any other suitable material and may be formed solid or cellular as shown and in accordance with requirements. They may be either plain, as

shown, or scored for plastering, as may be desired.`

40 In accordance with this invention, surface portions I4, extending inwardly or away from edge portions I5 of the blocks II, are irregularly or sinuously formed, and companion surface portions I6 extending inwardly or away from edge portions I1 of the blocks I I, are similarly formed, these surface portions I4 and I6 being formed on the blocks Il in opposed relationship so that when two of the-blocks II are placed end to end in a wall structure the surface portions I4 and I6 will form a cavity IB, for receiving nails or other attaching devices, as will be later described.

Said surface portions I4 and I6 of adjacent blocks II converge toward an intermediate point I9 at which the ends of the blocks, one of which is convex and the other concave, interlock and are (Cl. 72h-41) thus held against lateral displacement. The width of the cavities i 8 narrows toward the point I S as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

Walls may be constructed of the blocks II in the usual manner with either mortar or dry joints, or alternate mortar and dry joints, but mortar should be omitted from the joints into which nails are to be driven for attachment of grounds or trim members, such as base boards, picture moldings, chair rails or the like. The nails are driven through the member to be attached and into the cavities I! as illustrated and are thereby bent to conform to the shape of the cavity, being thus clinched and prevented from unintended loosening or pulling out.

When all blocks in a wall structure are formed in accordance with this invention the cavities I3 are close together and may be readily located, thus providing for the use of enough nails to hold the attached member rmly in place.

It will be noted that with the above described construction there is no tendency for the blocks to crack or split when the nails' are driven into the cavities, as might occur if the cavities were located elsewhere than between adjacent blocks. 4It will be understood that all exposed cavities in a wall may be closed with plaster or the like before iinal finishing.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, v

construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the construction hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Building tile comprising a plurality of blocks arrangeable end to end, the end portions of adjacent blocks being of irregular formation and cooperating to provide sinuous cavities or recesses between said blocks into which nails may be driven to attach a base strip or other member to a wall constructed of such tile, the form of such cavities or recesses causing the nails to be clinched and held against unintended loosening or pulling out.

2. Building tile comprising a plurality oi" clocks arrangeable end to end, the end portions of adjacent blocks being of irregular formation and cooperating to provide sinuous cavities or recesses between said blocks on both sides thereof, into Which nails may be driven to attach a base strip or other member to a wall constructed of such tile, the form of such cavities or recesses causing the nails to be clinched and held against unintended loosening or pulling out.

3. Building tile comprising a plurality of blocks arrangeable end to end, the end portions of adjacent blocks being of irregular formation and cooperating to provide sinuous cavities or recesses between said blocks into which nails may be driven to attach a base strip or other member to a wall constructed of such tile, the form of such cavities or recesses causing the nails to be clinched and held against unintended loosening or pulling out, the opposed ends of adjacent blocks being formed to contact at a point substantially inwardly from the mouth of the cavity and the latter tapering from the outer face of the tile toward said point.

4. Building tile comprising a plurality of blocks arrangeable end to end, the end portions of adjacent blocks being of irregular formation and cooperating to provide sinuous cavities o1' recesses between said blocks into which nails may be driven to attach a base strip or other member to a wall constructed of such tile, the form of such cavities or recesses causing the nails to be clinched and held againstJ unintended loosening or pulling out, the opposed end portions of adjacent blocks being formed for interlocking engagement to center and prevent lateral displacement of the blocks.

5. Building tile comprising a plurality of blocks arrangeable end to end, the end portions of adjacent blocks being of irregular formation and cooperating to provide sinuous cavities or recesses between said blocks into which nails may be driven to attach a base strip or other member to a wall constructed of such tile, the form of such cavities or recesses causing the nails to be clinched and held against unintended loosening or pulling out, the opposed end portions of adjacent blocks having, respectively, convex and concave formations thereon to provide for interlocking engagement for the purpose of centering and preventing lateral displacement of the blocks.

6. Building tile comprising a plurality of blocks arrangeable end to end, the end portions of adjacent blocks being of irregular formation and cooperating to provide sinuous cavities or recesses between said blocks into which nails may be driven to attach a base strip or other member to a wall constructed of such tile, the form of such cavities or recesses causing the nails to be clinched and held against unintended loosening or pulling out, the opposed end portions of adjacent blocks having, respectively, convex and concave formations thereon to provide for interlocking engagement for the purpose of centering and preventing lateral displacement of the blocks, the point of such interlocking engagement being substantially midway of the thickness of the blocks.

7. Building tile comprising a plurality of blocks arrangeable end to end, the end portions of adjacent blocks being of irregular formation and cooperating to provide sinuous cavities or recesses between said blocks into which nails may be driven to attach a base strip or other member to a wall constructed of such tile, the form of such cavities or recesses causing the nails to be clinched and held against unintended loosening or pulling out, the opposed end portions of adjacent blocks having, respectively, convex and concave formations thereon to provide for interlocking engagement for the purpose of centering and preventing lateral displacement of the blocks, the p oint of such interlocking engagement being substantially midway of the thickness of the blocks, and the nail-clinching cavities extending inwardly from opposite sides of the tile toward said point of engagement and gradually reducing in dimension as they approach said point.

ARTHUR C. VAN ANTWERP. 

